Q. If I use compost around
plants and trees, do I still place wood mulch over the compost? Is it needed,
or redundant?
plants and trees, do I still place wood mulch over the compost? Is it needed,
or redundant?
 |
| When the using compost as a fertilizer and soil amendment the compost should be a rich compost full of nutrients. Compost can be a soil amendment, making the soil “fluffier”, but if it’s rich as well then it will add fertilizer or nutrients to the soil. |
A. Regarding fruit trees,
wood chips applied 3 to 4 inches deep on the surface of desert soils is always
a good idea. It is also a good idea for many traditional landscape plants, like
photinia, mock orange and roses, to have wood mulch or wood chips on top of the
soil rather than rock. All these plants are healthiest if rich compost is applied
as a fertilizer in the spring.
wood chips applied 3 to 4 inches deep on the surface of desert soils is always
a good idea. It is also a good idea for many traditional landscape plants, like
photinia, mock orange and roses, to have wood mulch or wood chips on top of the
soil rather than rock. All these plants are healthiest if rich compost is applied
as a fertilizer in the spring.
 |
| In this demonstration at the University Orchard, compost was added to the soil, the backfill, surrounding the tree roots. The trees were planted the bare root. The woodchip mulch was added to the soil surface in combination with the compost added to the soil. But if compost is added to the top of the soil every year, the woodchip mulch is not necessary for soil improvement. It does a great job however of controlling weeds and conserving moisture around the roots. |
Under some circumstances, some plants get by without wood
chip mulch or compost applied as fertilizer. Trees and shrubs that are truly
“desert adapted”, or suitable for desert landscapes, can get by without wood
chip mulch or compost. All they need is a little bit of fertilizer in early
spring every year. These are plants such as mesquite, acacia, Texas ranger and
palo verde.
chip mulch or compost applied as fertilizer. Trees and shrubs that are truly
“desert adapted”, or suitable for desert landscapes, can get by without wood
chip mulch or compost. All they need is a little bit of fertilizer in early
spring every year. These are plants such as mesquite, acacia, Texas ranger and
palo verde.
In desert landscapes, with the surface of the soil
covered with small rocks suitable for walking, your only alternative may be
feeding plants with fertilizers applied from bags, a.k.a. mineral fertilizers. These
can be applied directly to the surface of the soil near drip emitters and
watered in.
covered with small rocks suitable for walking, your only alternative may be
feeding plants with fertilizers applied from bags, a.k.a. mineral fertilizers. These
can be applied directly to the surface of the soil near drip emitters and
watered in.
Would desert adapted plants
be healthier with compost and wood chip mulch? Definitely. But they can
tolerate our desert soils without compost and wood chips better than
traditional landscape plants.